It's three o'clock in the morning, and Alan has just handed over watch to me.
"We're in a following sea," he says, "but there aren't any really big waves out there. Just cut the throttle if the speed gets above 18."
I fumble for my water bottle. Alan finds it, and hands it over, adding "it's almost empty."
"But look at the side." I've noticed that the curved surface of the plastic bottle has a slight dip in it. I double check on my wristwatch barometer. "Yes, the pressure's rising". That means an improvement in the weather, at least temporarily.
I settle in to being the blind throttle jockey. You might think it somewhat contrary that a boating expedition out to circle the world as quickly as possible should be concerned about too much speed. Certainly following seas are much better than head seas for making progress, but they too have their pitfalls.
It's a stop-go process. The engine revs drop as you labour up a seemingly endless hill which is pulling away in front of you. Eventually you make it to the top. The bow lifts up and the boat slows down, wallowing about aimlessly for several seconds.
Then it smacks down again and the runaway train ride begins. We're surfing down the front of the wave, picking up speed at an alarming rate. If we go too fast, the danger is we run into the back of the next wave. Sometimes it's nothing more than an impressive cascade of spray. But sometimes it can be more spectacular, like the wave which smashed both windscreens on our way from Cardiff to Gibraltar.
It's made more interesting by the fact that it's pitch dark, and I don't have any horizon at all for reference. So I have to manage using just sound, feel and the instruments. I finish my watch with both windscreens intact.
Alan has now decided we will definitely overnight Wednesday in Adak. The place has a population of 300, but accommodation for 6,000, harking back to its former role as a US military base. Not unreasonable therefore to presume they might have a few spare beds. We haven't washed or changed clothes for over a week, so we're looking forward to a bit of quality shower and laundry time. Alan has also put out a request to see a doctor when we arrive. His back has been playing up - a direct result of the pasting we've been taking over the last few days.
Although the weather conditions have improved somewhat, it's only temporary. We know there's still a second depression coming up right behind us at 20 knots. Letting it blow through is a good tactical move. Not only do we escape a battering, it should also set the wind right for our next leg north-east to Kodiak.
Clive Tully
Copyright Clive Tully ©2002
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